Fireside Love
by darkmistresstoff
Summary: Zuko has just helped Katara find the man who killed her mother. After the climax of emeotions, what will happen to them? Zutara. One shot.
1. Zuko

**Both chapters are the same story from different perspectives. I was bored and wanted to try this out, since I would have loved for Zutara to work out.**

**This occurs between Southern Raiders and Ember Island Players.**

The fire crackled fiercely, casting active shadows on Zuko's stern face. The flames caught and reflected back in his narrowed gold eyes. His mind shuffled through the memories stored there, reliving every moment. As the memory of his mother's kind face came into view, tears began to well in his eyes.

"I'm sorry mom," he whispered.

"Zuko," a soft voice exclaimed. "What are you still doing up? It's late, you should be asleep."

"I can't," he replied, his head falling to hide his tears. "Why are you up?"

The voice's owner shrugged and sat down beside him. "I saw the fire and figured I'd see if you're OK."

"I'm fine!" he snapped.

"OK, I'll just go back to sleep then." She stood and began to walk back towards her tent.

"No wait," Zuko reached out, grabbing her arm and pulling her back down. "I'm sorry Katara."

"It's OK," Katara said gently. "For whatever reason you're up, it's none of my business."

He sighed. As much as he didn't want to share his thoughts with this girl, he couldn't help it. Something about her just compelled him to be open and honest.

"I was just… just thinking about my mother."

"Oh. Didn't you say the Fire Nation took her from you?"

"Yeah. More like my father," he paused and debated whether to continue. "My father insulted my grandfather so he ordered him to kill me. My mother loved me too much for that to happen and went to Azulan. I'm not sure if she killed him or not, but in the middle of the night she left. I have no idea where she is… or if she's even still alive."

The fire popped in the still silence. It took Zuko all of his strength to keep his emotions in check. Slowly he felt tears creep down his cheeks. His head bowed even further. He was alone. He had lost everyone who truly loved him. His mother was gone. His uncle no doubt hated him. And he wouldn't blame Mai if she never talked to him again. Losing control of himself, his shoulders began to shake. After a moment, he felt Katara's arms around his shoulders.

"I'm so sorry Zuko. I wish there was something I could do." She laid her head against his neck and held him for a while.

He took a breath and pulled away a little, taking her hands in his. He sat and stared into her concerned sapphire eyes.

Hesitantly, he saw Katara's right hand rise to touch his scar. Her fingers were cool and gentle, the soft brown skin soothing.

"And I really wish I could have healed this for you," she whispered.

"If you had, Aang would be dead and the world would be in ruins. And who knows where I'd be."

Her hand fell and it took him some restraint not to pull it back to his face. "You're right. But maybe if I had been able to heal it you would have helped us defeat Azula and we'd never have been in this situation."

"Are you still going on about that," he groaned.

"Yes, I am still 'going on about that,'" she exclaimed loudly. "Because of you, Aang almost didn't make it. You're lucky things worked out the way they did."

"Well sorry for upsetting you," Zuko said sarcastically.

"Ugh," she grumbled, standing up and turning her back to him. "And here I thought we were actually having a moment. I guess I should have learned from the caves."

"Maybe," he said offhand.

The fire was gradually shrinking and the air grew chilly. The two stayed silent. Zuko waited for Katara to say something.

"You going to start that up again?" she asked as she sat down again, motioning towards the dying flame.

"Sure," he replied shooting a thick beam of fire into the rock circle. Suddenly the fire blazed to life again.

"Thank you for letting me join you," Zuko said after a while.

"You proved yourself," she said matter-of-factly. "And we need you."

Zuko smiled, despite himself. "I can't say I disagree with that."

"Just be glad I don't hate you anymore."

"I am."

Their eyes met as Zuko spoke. He looked into her eyes, searching for what it was that made her different, special. Without making a conscientious decision, they started moving closer. Finally, their lips met. Zuko pressed his against hers, somehow pleased when she responded by pressing closer. Her body pressed close to his and he snaked his arms around her waist. Suddenly, an image of Mai flashed in her mind's eye. Quickly he pulled back.

Looking up at Katara, he knew she felt as odd as he did. Her cheeks were flushed a delicate pink and she looked away from him, fiddling with her hair. Zuko's lips tingled, as if asking for more.

"I should get back to bed," she muttered. She stood and strode clumsily to her tent. "You should sleep too."

Zuko nodded, although she had already slipped into her tent. His eyes stayed trained in the door, a part of him half expecting her to burst out and fling herself at him. That part of him _wanted_ her to. But he knew that was foolish and knew better than to pursue her.

Still, there was no denying that she was one amazing girl.


	2. Katara

Katara flipped over for the hundredth time. As exhausted as she was, she just couldn't fall asleep. Feeling frustrated, she sat up and looked around. Through the thin cloth that formed her tent she saw the light of a fire and a silhouette hunched beside it. Breathing out, she rose to her knees and crawled towards the door. She wasn't going to get to sleep anyway.

Parting the cloth door she saw Zuko by the fire. His head was bowed and back to her. "Zuko," she exclaimed. "What are you still doing up? It's late, you should be asleep."

I can't," Zuko's head fell as he spoke, leaving it impossible for her to see his face. "Why are you up?"

Katara shrugged and sat down next to him. The fire felt good and from here she could see more of his face. "I saw the fire and figured I'd see if you're OK."

I'm fine," he snapped, his narrowed eyes glaring at her through his dark hair.

Frustration welling, she stood and turned to go. "OK, I'll just go back to sleep then."

"No wait," Zuko's hand grasped her arm. She looked down at the pale hand as his grip softened. He pulled her back to face him as he spoke. "I'm sorry Katara."

"It's OK," she answered, hearing the true apology in his voice. "For whatever reason you're up, it's none of my business."

She heard him sigh. She wasn't sure if he would speak openly with her or not, noting their history, but a part of her wanted him to. Zuko had been through so much. He needed someone to be there for him.

"I was just... just thinking about my mother." His voice was sad.

"Oh," she remembered him mentioning his mother to her before. "Didn't you say the Fire Nation took her from you?"

He nodded. "Yeah. More like my father," he paused and she wondered if he'd continue. "My father insulted my grandfather so he ordered him to kill me. My mother loved me too much for that to happen and went to Azulan. I'm not sure if she killed him or not, but in the middle of the night she left. I have no idea where she is… or if she's even still alive."

Katara didn't know what to say. She too had lost her mother to the Fire Nation but to loose her to your own family, to not know what had happened; she couldn't imagine how that felt. Looking at Zuko over the silence she could see his sadness written across his face. He had lost everything that meant anything to him. When his shoulders started to shake with silent sobs, she couldn't stop herself from putting her arms around him.

"I'm so sorry Zuko. I wish there was something I could do," without thinking she lowered her head against his neck and held him.

After a while, she heard him breath in and felt him pull away, breaking her gentle hold. She stopped a shiver when he took her hands and held them. His gold eyes stared at her and held her gaze. He really was an attractive boy. Both mysterious and good-hearted, despite his rocky past. Hesitantly she let her hand rise to his face. Gently she touched the pink skin around his left eye. The flesh there was rutted and leathery.

"And I really do wish I could have healed this for you," she whispered, her throat was think with pity for him.

If you had, Aang would be dead and the world would be in ruins. And who knows where I'd be."

Katara felt a flash of anger. Her hand fell as her anger from that night boiled again. "You're right. But maybe if I had been able to heal it you would have helped us defeat Azula and we'd never have been in this situation."

"Are you still going on about that?" Zuko groaned.

Katara couldn't help it. That day in the cave at Ba Sing Se she had almost lost all her hope and everything that mattered to her. "Yes, I am still 'going on about that,'" she exclaimed loudly. "Because of you, Aang almost didn't make it. You're lucky things worked out the way they did."

"Well sorry for upsetting you," Zuko said sarcastically.

Katara had forgiven him but would never forget. "Ugh," she groaned, standing up and turning her back to Zuko. "And here I thought we were actually having a moment. I guess I should have learned from the caves."

"Maybe," she heard him mutter.

As Katara struggled with her anger, the fire slowly started dying. Sighing, she turned back to him. "You going to start that up again?"

She sat down next to him again, motioning at the fire pit.

"Sure," he said as he pointed a hand at it and shot flame at the circle. The fire blazed, casting odd shadows on their faces.

"Thank you for letting me join you," Zuko said into the silence.

"You proved yourself," Katara said matter-of-factly. "And we need you."

Zuko smiled, his black hair falling handsomely into his eyes. "Cant say I disagree with that."

"Just be glad I don't hate you anymore."

"I am."

Katara looked at him as he spoke. Her heart fluttered as his eyes seemed to search her. How could someone who frustrated her so much seem to draw her in. suddenly she felt herself moving towards him. Their lips met halfway. Zuko's warm lips pressed against hers and she felt herself moving closer to him. She shivered when his hands locked around her waist.

Without warning, he pulled away. She felt her cheeks burn and turned toward the fire, her hands pulling on her hair.

"I should get back to bed," she stood shakily and walked dizzily to her tent. "You should sleep too."

Her lips burned as she crawled under her blanket. She couldn't believe she had just kissed Zuko, of all people. Besides, she could never have anything with him even if she wanted to. They were too different and Zuko had Mai. And she had….

Still, there was no denying that he was one amazing guy.


End file.
